When news broke yesterday that Air India Flight 171 had crashed shortly after take-off, the world watched in shock and horror.
The Gatwick-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, with 242 people on board, crashed in a huge fireball moments after taking off in the Indian city of Ahmedabad.
Aviation experts say it is nearly impossible to survive a fully-fuelled plane crash into a high-rise building. Yet, one British father remarkably walked away from the disaster, which is believed to have claimed the lives of over 200 people.
Astonishing footage captured 40-year-old Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, from London, stumbling away from the crash site, visibly bloodied and disoriented. His t-shirt was ripped and he was carrying a phone in his hand and a boarding pass in his pocket.
Mr Ramesh, who was born in India and has lived in the UK since 2003, has a wife and four-year-old son.
He is said to have been returning from as business trip with his brother Ajaykumar Ramesh, 35, whois believed to have been seated in seat 11J - just four seats away and is believed to have not survived the crash.
Another brother Nayan Kumar Ramesh told Sky News that Mr Ramesh video-called their father moments after the crash to say: “I don’t know how I’m alive.”
A relative called Jay told the PA news agency: "He's got some injuries on his face. He was painted in blood. He's doing well I think. It's a big shock."
Dr Dhaval Gameti, who treated Mr Ramesh, said: "He was disorientated, with multiple injuries all over his body. But he seems to be out of danger."
Indian media said he shared his boarding pass, which showed his name and seat number.
Police discovered Mr Ramesh—who had been seated by the window in seat 11A—in a residential area of Gujarat and transported him to a nearby hospital for treatment. He was visited in hospital today by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Mr Ramesh’s family confirmed yesterday afternoon that he was onboard the Air India flight but that they had not heard from another relative who was also onboard.
Speaking to local media from his hospital bed, Mr Ramesh said: “Thirty seconds after take off, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed.
“It all happened so quickly … When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared. I stood up and ran. There were pieces of the plane all around me.”
The Hindustan Times reported that Mr Ramesh told DD News: "When the flight took off, within five to 10 seconds it felt like it was stuck in the air.
"Suddenly, the lights started flickering - green and white - then the plane rammed into some establishment that was there."
Mr Ramesh told the newspaper the section of the plane he was in landed on the ground, rather than hitting the roof of a building.
"When I saw the exit, I thought I could come out. I tried, and I did. Maybe the people who were on the other side of the plane weren't able to," he said.
He added: "I don't know how I survived. I saw people dying in front of my eyes - the air hostesses, and two people I saw near me ... I walked out of the rubble."
Professor Edwina Galea, director of the Fire Safety Engineering Group (FSEG) at the University of Greenwich, told The Telegraph she believed this was a “non-survivable crash”.
“As far as this accident is concerned, I think it’s miraculous that anyone survived because I think technically this crash is probably a non-survivable crash,” she said.
All but one of the 242 people on board the London-bound flight died in the crash, but it is still unclear how many casualties there have been on the ground, where the plane crashed into accommodation used by trainee doctors.
There were 169 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese nationals and one Canadian on the flight, Air India confirmed.
Identities of people understood to have been on the Air India flight which came down shortly after 1:38 PM IST yesterday have begun to emerge. These include families, couples and siblings.
Divyansh Singh, vice-president of the Federation of All India Medical Association, told the Associated Press that at least five medical students had been killed and about 50 were injured when the plane hit the college.
Tata Group, the parent company of Air India, said it would provide 10 million rupees (around £86,000) to the families of each of those killed in the crash.
The company said it would also cover the medical costs of the injured and provide support in the "building up" of the BJ Medical College.
UK officials are being deployed to India to support the investigation, the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said.
King Charles said he was "desperately shocked" and Buckingham Palace said His Majesty was being kept updated.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the UK was in constant contact with Indian authorities.
He said: "I think it is important for all friends and family to contact the Foreign Office so we can roll out this as quickly as possible, but it is an ongoing investigation. It'll take some time.
"But you know, our hearts and our thoughts are absolutely with the friends and families of all those affected who are going to be absolutely devastated by this awful news."
Foreign Secretary David Lammy chaired a Cobra meeting of senior ministers about the crash.
It is the first crash involving a Boeing 787, according to the Aviation Safety Network database.
Air India was acquired by Tata Group from the Indian government in January 2022 after racking up billions of pounds of losses.
The airline's UK operations are based at Birmingham, Gatwick and Heathrow, with routes to a number of Indian cities such as Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.
It started operating flights to Gatwick in March 2023, with 12 weekly departures including five to Ahmedabad.
Gatwick said there was no impact on wider flight operations at the airport, but a Thursday evening flight to Goa had been cancelled.
The FCDO said any British nationals requiring consular assistance, or who have concerns about family or friends, should call 020 7008 5000.
